just kind of a poll here? How many use a blower to clean there stoves? Do you leave the door opened or closed? Can it hurt the vacuum switches?
Leaf blower cleaning opinions
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Funnydirt14
Member
I use a leaf blower for my stove. Works quite well. I leave the door closed, but many leave it open. It can affect the vacuum switch, but I have done it for a couple of year with the door closed and haven't had any trouble. I think you get a better draw with the door closed. I have three extra vacuum switches if I need one replaced, so I do it closed. One thing I will tell you is thoroughly clean your stove and empty the ash pan before doing the leaf blower trick. I have done the leaf blower, then cleaned the flue liner with a brush and then redo the leaf blower.
I just used a leaf blower on my stove for the first time this past weekend. I left the door cracked open a little bit, just in case.
LuvMyPellets
Burning Hunk
Been doing it for a couple years since I read about it on here. Never go back. Just so darn easy to get every little piece of crap out of the stove. I unplug the switch on the Afton Bay so I can close the door. The Harman I don't need to close the door so I leave everything connected.
OhioBurner©
Minister of Fire
I used to do it frequently but with the greater length involved with my chimney setup the leaf blower didn't do that great of a job, I'd often still have loose ash piled right in the exhaust traps while it was running. I'd have to stirr up the ash to get it airborn, then it'd be sucked out. But I always wondered if it was really getting much that I couldn't get to. Ever since I switched to 4" pellet vent I haven't figured out a great way to mount the leaf blower to it, so I haven't done it in a while.
I use my leaf blower about every 3 week. I clean my stove and brush out the chimney. I climb up the a ladder and pull the cap off and stuff a bag into the pipe. I open the door on the stove and take the clean out cap off and put the leaf blower on it. The last time I did it. My neighbor was coming up the street and she thought my house had exploded.
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
perfect fit for 4"...slides right in.
Home depot cheapie. Homelite..
btw: I have an OAK outlet there so I stuff a rag in the horizonal outlet so as to get more suction to the pipe. then after I stuff a rag in the vertical so as to get crud from the inner thruway...
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Bioburner
Moderator
My Ecoteck Elena has very little venting but is a pain to get the back of the stoves exchanger properly clean and the lbt solves the issue. If the stove takes more than five minutes to light I know its time. I service a couple other stoves and even though one thinks they have everything inside cleaned the blower proves otherwise.
I do it about two times season, once in the middle, once at the end. Door open.
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DneprDave
Minister of Fire
I do the leaf blower trick after every ton of pellets burned. I have disconnected the vacuum hose in the past, but now I just leave the stove door open, you won't be able to get enough vacuum to damage the vacuum switch with the door open, but it still gets the stove clean as a whistle.
OhioBurner©
Minister of Fire
I suppose I should consider a new leaf blower though I hate to buy one when I already have one, I'm cheap that way lol. Mine is a Toro I think? But the intake pipe is like the same size as the pellet vent it wont go inside or around just buts up against, and way up high several feet above the top of my roof ridge I need it a bit more secure! Next time I'm in HD I'll see if they have the one you're talking about.
HD has rubber fernco's the join same size pipes together and there very inexpensive.
rich2500
Minister of Fire
Just hit the one ton mark on the Francesca, so I thought I would try the lbt to see what the hype was all about, just kept the door cracked and got a pretty good cloud for the first couple seconds, left the blower run until I didn't see anymore cloud coming out the blower. It was quick and easy enough once I got the correct rig up so I will probably do it again at the 2 ton mark.Just found this plug from Lowes https://www.lowes.com/pd/Oatey-3-Di..._clickID=2ac6a790-67de-4a46-88ff-b65862463186 to plug the outlet end of the exhaust them just hook the blower to the cleanout. plug can then be used in the off season to block the vent, It's also available in 4" .
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OhioBurner©
Minister of Fire
I don't know about HD or fernco but I did pick up one of these today, I assume it's what you're talking about. But it wont fit, needs to be about a 1/4" larger diameter. I don't suppose they make these in 1/4" increments somewhere do they? Maybe I could put a slit in the intake pipe of the leaf blower and squeeze it smaller to fit...
I don't want to lessen the integrity of it though, needs to be a solid connection since it's going to be placing the leaf blower like 6' up in the air above the roof peak. Not only does it need to support it's own weight and force, but it's usually pretty windy up there especially with my house on a bit of a knoll and open field to the west.
I didn't get to check fit on the pellet vent yet though, drizzling all day so far, metal roof is a bit too slippery to mess with unless it's dry.
Bioburner
Moderator
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